
Tom Swarbrick 4pm - 7pm
4 February 2025, 20:57 | Updated: 4 February 2025, 21:00
Donald Trump has signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the UN Human Rights Council.
The document also continued a stop to funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
"The US funding to the UN is excessive and unfair," the US President said while signing the order.
The executive order means Mr Trump has reinstated policies that were in place during his first administration.
Trump also signed a "very tough" memorandum restoring his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was "torn" when choosing whether to sign it, but said Tehran was "too close" to having a nuclear weapon.
"Hopefully, we are not going to have to use it very much," he said. "I'm unhappy to do it."
Trump said he would hold talks with his counterpart in Tehran, but threatened Iran "would be obliterated" if it assassinated him.
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Trump signed these documents during an event at the White House Oval Office.
He also confirmed on Tuesday that he plans to "wind down" the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The agency is reportedly being shut down as part of Elon Musk's plan to shrink the size of the federal government.
Trump said the billionaire has been doing a "great job" and that there is a lot of fraud at the agency.
It comes ahead of Trump's meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu with the Israeli prime minister facing pressure from his right-wing coalition to end a temporary ceasefire against Hamas.
"It'd be great if we could have a Middle East and maybe a world at total peace," said Trump.
"Right now, you don't have that. When I left, you had peace all over the world, and now you have the world blowing up.
"As you know, Bibi is coming in to see me later. We'll see what we can do."
The leaders' talks are expected to also include concerns about Iran's nuclear programme.
Netanyahu's arrival in Washington marks the first foreign leader visit of Trump's second term.